New year-round partnership brings specialized insurance education, real-world insights and direct access to industry expert Ashlin Hadden to the STIMULATE community.
Denver, Colorado — October 4, 2026 — STIMULATE, the B2B marketplace and education platform connecting sexual wellness, intimate care and wellness professionals, is pleased to announce Essence Insurance by Ashlin Hadden Insurance as a STIMULATE+Approved Partner, expanding the organizations’ relationship through year-round education and resources designed to help businesses better understand and manage risk.
As part of the partnership, Essence founder and CEO Ashlin Hadden will contribute a recurring column to StimulateTheShow.com titled Fully Covered.
Created specifically with the realities of today’s sexual wellness, intimate care and retail businesses in mind, Fully Covered will make insurance education more accessible, relevant and actionable for STIMULATE’s professional community.
Business owners put tremendous energy into building their brands, growing their customer base and creating opportunities for the future, yet insurance is often something they don’t fully understand until they need it,” said Nicole Leinbach Hoffman, Founder of STIMULATE. “Ashlin understands the unique challenges businesses in our industry face. Having worked with her for ten plus years firsthand, I can confidently tell you that she knows how to translate complicated insurance conversations into information business owners can actually use. That makes Essence an ideal STIMULATE+Approved Partner.”
Each installment of Fully Covered will feature a combination of real-world client stories and scenarios, actionable takeaways businesses can apply to their own operations, insurance education relevant to retailers and brands, and answers to questions submitted by members of the STIMULATE community.
The column will explore topics ranging from product and general liability to cyber risk, property, business interruption, e-commerce, private-label exposure and other insurance considerations that can become particularly complex for sexual wellness and other higher-risk businesses.
Readers will also have the opportunity to “Ask Ashlin”, submitting insurance questions and business scenarios for consideration in future Fully Covered columns.
I have always been about creating momentum and confidence that can help businesses move forward,” Ashlin Hadden explains. “My partnership with STIMULATE reinforces this and helps me extend my mission to support this amazing community through year-round, education-rich insight and resources. Fully Covered gives me a trusted platform through STIMULATE to support the sexual wellness community and I am genuinely excited to bring to life content that will help others.”
Hadden is the founder and CEO of Ashlin Hadden Insurance and Essence Protection, a specialty insurance brokerage serving sexual wellness and other specialized business categories. Essence works with businesses including sexual wellness brands, pleasure-product companies, retailers, e-commerce sellers, manufacturers, boutique store owners, independent sellers, sex-educators and therapist and other professionals seeking coverage tailored to the realities of their operations.
The new partnership builds on Essence’s existing relationship with STIMULATE, where Essence first exhibited in 2023 at their debut show. Essence has since been recognized at the 2026 STIMULATE+Awards as Business Services Partner of the Year, further reflecting its growing presence and reputation within the professional sexual wellness community.
Fully Covered will debut on StimulateTheShow.com in early October 2026, with ongoing installments published throughout the year.
About STIMULATE
STIMULATE is a B2B marketplace, education platform and professional community connecting the evolving worlds of sexual wellness, intimate care, health, retail and pleasure. Through its annual Nashville marketplace and conference, year-round education, editorial content and industry partnerships, STIMULATE brings together brands, retailers, healthcare professionals, educators, independent sellers and other industry leaders to discover products, exchange knowledge and create meaningful business connections.
About Essence Protection by Ashlin Hadden Insurance
Essence Protection is a specialty insurance brokerage operated by Ashlin Hadden Insurance and focused on serving sexual wellness, pleasure-positive and other specialized businesses. Led by founder and CEO Ashlin Hadden, the company provides commercial insurance solutions designed around the unique exposures faced by brands, retailers, manufacturers, e-commerce sellers and other businesses whose insurance needs may not fit traditional models.
For more information, visit EssenceProtection.com.
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